


of the sun

by Lulatic



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Character Study, Fluff, Just fucking soft, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Soft., implied pining, thanatos answers in his own. 'helpful' way, the relationship isnt too evident but i vibe w it and hope the Vibe is there a lil, zag asks about the surface
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22399123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulatic/pseuds/Lulatic
Summary: He sat, stewing in the companionable silence.Thanatos was still trying to pretend he wasn’t there.
Relationships: Thanatos & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 230





	of the sun

**Author's Note:**

> hades is good. these dudes are. good.

The hall just outside Hades’ chambers was quiet. More desolate, empty, void of the shades that filtered in and out through the House. Most often, at least; figures that faded in and out of view under certain light were sometimes hunched over in the far corner. Or Achilles, standing watch with his back straight and his spear in hand. 

He wasn’t here now. Zagreus didn’t know where he went, the times that his familiar spot was empty. He didn’t ask. Something told him he wouldn’t get a true answer. 

There was a lot he didn’t know. 

The House of Hades was rarely quiet, either filled with the noise of shades mourning their own deaths, or others going about their duties. From nearly anywhere, Zagreus could always hear Dusa’s low humming. 

He couldn’t hear her, or anyone else, from the back corner by the door to Hades’ chambers. Zagreus found the near silence calming, the shared isolation to be a respite. 

Another disappointing defeat. He still felt the spear through his ribs, a ghost pain of something that left him drenched in the red of the River Styx. He could almost still feel the way his bones shifted and skin tore. His back to the railing, Zagreus found himself dragging his knees to his chest, curling inward like he could shove the feeling away. 

He’d almost hoped, this time, that Hypnos wouldn’t comment or offer his advice, even after the recommendation of ‘getting out of the way’ was offered to him. 

But he sat, stewing in the companionable silence. 

Thanatos was still trying to pretend he wasn’t there.

There was always a sort of air around Than, something that felt like it seeped at the colours around him and drew everything in. It left Zagreus’s hair standing on end and his skin feeling bitten with soft flames all at once. He found the feeling comfortable, familiar, especially after so long. 

Even if Thanatos was still trying to pretend he wasn’t there. That was fine. How he hadn’t even looked down from hovering and staring out into Tartarus. 

He was fine with this lapse in commotion and conversation. 

After two minutes of nothing Zagreus kicked out, clipping Thanatos in the shin, deciding that that was enough of the quiet.

“Wha-” Than huffed out, an unintelligible growl. He dipped down, feet nearly touching the ground but not quite. Zagreus made sure to give him the sweetest smile he could muster when Than’s glare raked over him. 

“What do you think you’re doing, Zagreus?” He spoke low, his scythe twirling between his fingers. Zagreus raised his eyebrows at him. “Oh, Than,” he drawled, “I’m sorry I forgot you were there. You know, with your silence and all.”

He gave him a look that very clearly told Zagreus he wasn’t pleased, moreso evident in how Than flitted back a ways as soon as Zag moved to cross his legs. His glare only depended when Zagreus snorted. 

“Don’t you have things to be doing?” 

"Perhaps," he hummed in response, "but I don’t see why that’s relevant.” With a yawn, he stretched his arms back over his head, leaning back against the railing as he ruffled a hand through his hair. He groaned out low when his shoulder _popped_ with the movement. 

He decided not to comment on how Thanatos watched him from the corner of his eye. 

He didn't _say_ anything; however, he might as well have as he met Than's gaze, a single eyebrow quirked. Than tensed, the air around him shivering as he huffed out and turned his back to Zag. He grumbled and spun his scythe between his fingers when Zagreus chuckled. 

"I see you still… shirk your duties." 

"I suppose someone needs to not be a stick in the mud around here." 

He clicked his tongue in response to that. Zagreus watched him a moment, tensing when he saw the way his shoulders melted, power ruffling in drowned out shades of green around him. When a moment passed, Zag breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that he wasn't going to vanish on him again.

He was thankful for it. More than he could say, really. 

A moment's respite like this, of company with old friends without that daunting ache in his chest of not belonging drowning out everything else, was impossible in the Underworld. Even rarer was it when that company was Thanatos. 

He sighed, tapped his fingers against the tiled floor, hummed a low tune along to whatever hymn Orpheus was singing in the other room. Than didn't say anything, instead Zag's eye catching on the way he tilted his head towards him. 

His throat ached. He dug his teeth into the skin of his lip. 

"Tell me about the surface."

Than's whole body tensed, air seeming to chill like the warmth of Hell itself was dragged out of it. "Really," Thanatos groaned, " Zagreus? And here I was enjoying the silence." He turned to him, feet for once toeing the tiles he always hovered over. Zagreus had to bite his tongue to keep from remarking about how it was because Than wanted to feel tall; he was already pushing his luck with questions of the surface as it is. 

“I can never understand your fixation with… up _there._ ” He huffed, blowing his silver bangs from his face with an eyeroll. Zag didn’t respond at first, crossing his legs and pulling his feet underneath himself. He looked up, almost hesitantly. “No, you can never.”

There was a beat, a pause in the air. Zag had a moment to wonder if maybe spending more times slashing through shades than conversing with another person outside of such contexts was doing worse on his social life than he assumed. Until Thanatos dragged in a low, almost annoyed breath. 

“It’s not as delightful as you seem to think.” Zagreus sat up straight at his words, taking that as the sideways invitation that Thanatos meant to it be. He tried to play it down as well, shrugging in nonchalance. “Well, it’s not like I really know much of _anything,_ now do I?”

With a tilt of his head, Than tried not to show any interest. “What do you want to know?”

Zag couldn’t help it anymore; he leaned forward heavily, wide-eyed like a child. “What are birds?”

His laugh was halfway from being a scoff, if it wasn’t so surprised. “That is what you want to know? _Birds?_ ” There was something, thinly veiled and quiet, in his tone beyond just disbelief. Zag chose not to think on it too hard, in this moment at least. “One of many things, perhaps.” 

Than breathed out low, humming in thought for just a moment. He looked away, down the hall towards Hades’ desk, to where the world was still bustling with activity and motion. He seemed to make up his mind on something. With a flurry and a flick of his wrist, Zagreus watched how the colour shifted, air condensing as he spun his scythe seemingly out of existence. It vanished much like Than always did. 

He couldn’t help staring as Thanatos sat down in front of him: rather, how he crossed his legs midair, floating just a bit lower so they were nearly eye level. His elbow dug into his thigh, chin in his hands. 

“Birds are practically everywhere, up there.” He said with a low scoff, as if he had a personal vendetta. “They’re mostly small, the size of those garish gems adorning everywhere. Covered in feathers. They’re all kinds of colours. Fly everywhere. Made these awful screeching… chirping noises.”

Even with his curt, uninterested tone, Zagreus clung on to each word. “They fly? So, like.” He frowned, tapping his chin. “Like the Numbskulls?”

“Well, no. They can’t just _hover._ The world always tries to pull them to the ground.” he clicked his tongue, thinking for the right comparison. “Think more like… those butterflies in Elysium. They flap their wings in order to stay airborne.

“What else?”

Zag blinked up at him, once, twice, caught in trying to imagine what was so scarcely described. Then it clicked in his head. “Wait, but you said--”

“I did.” He crossed his arms, leaning backwards into nothing. “And you said no one would explain it to you. So here I am. Unless you want me to leave--”

“ _No!_ ” He threw up his hands, shaking his head viciously at the very idea. He gulped down, biting back on the words in his throat. After Thanatos made no indication of moving, he dug up something better to say, to keep hearing Than’s voice at the least. “Okay, what other creatures are up there?”

“Creatures? Ah, those blasted animals,” he snorted, shrugging, “somehow less notable than mortals. Rarely live as long. I never deal with them.”

“I didn’t ask that.” 

“Then what _are_ you asking?” Than barked out, leaning down near face-to-face with Zag, who didn’t so much as flinch. He grinned wide instead. “The closest I know are those rats and satyrs. What else is there? What do they look like?”

He muttered something under his breath, literally scratching his head as he thought of some response to Zagreus’ broad question. He snapped his fingers when he finally thought of something. “There’s all kinds of animals, Zag. More than you can imagine.”

“Enlighten me.”  
“Well, ah-- like Cerberus, there’s creatures like him.”

Zagreus was positively starry-eyed at this, head in his hands. “Oh my _god_ there’s more Cerberus’ on the surface?”

“N-no. Ah Zag I-- no… There isn’t. There’s dogs _like_ him, but not nearly as… Big. or with as many heads.” Thanatos apparently chose to ignore just how crestfallen Zagreus was at that, continuing on. “Like birds. All different sizes, colours. They bark just as loud, make horrific messes too. Mortals seem as keen on them as you are.”

Zagreus laughed openly, looking up at Than with a crooked grin. “Ah, I knew you had no appreciation for Cerberus.” Thanatos rustled at that accusation, glowering down at him. “I did _not_ say that--”

“What about the air?” 

“... Air?”

“You know,” Zag hummed, pointing upwards. “What’s _above_ the surface? Like here, when you look up you just…” He craned his neck, staring up at the roof of the house, knowing past that was layer upon layer of rock and stalactites. “When you’re on the surface, and you look up, what do you see?”

He looked away from above, instantly seeing that Thanatos hadn’t mimicked him; his eyes instead had never left Zagreus. There was a look on his face, of something like frustration and interest, that made Zag suck in a low breath. 

“It’s…” Than wrinkled his brow, looking away. “It… changes. The sky. It’s always blue. And massive. Hangs over everything. During the day when the sun is out, it’s all kinds of light blue. At night it’s much darker, with stars. These sparkling things. Tiny, everywhere.”

He tapped his nails on his knee, seeming more stuck in his head than before now. Zagreus was content just to listen. “Sometimes it’s grey, or white. That’s when the sky is chock full of clouds. Those are these white, fluffy things. Made of water, I believe. Sometimes they drop rainwater, droplets of water, down on the surface. Well, lately their small, frozen specks of ice, actually.”

Zag hummed out, it dawning on him. “Ah, so that’s where all that snow came from.” Then he froze, completely still when he realized Thanatos’ gaze had snapped right onto him. 

“Zagreus…” His voice was weighed down, his face twisting with thought, only to spark with realization in a split second. “Zag, you’ve been to the surface.”

It wasn’t a question. They both knew it wasn’t. Zag didn’t break their locked gaze, didn’t dare look away. “I… have. Yes. Although father would prefer no one knew.” 

Thanatos didn’t say anything. Zagreus had absolutely no clue what he was thinking, what he was mulling over in his head. His expression was stony, cold. It didn’t betray anything. 

“... You’ve been to the surface.” He repeated. “Why bother asking questions then? Why not see for yourself already.”

Zagreus didn’t know what to say, for a moment. He knew that Than was a word away from vanishing in thin air once again, could feel it in the air around him, in the way the atmosphere was cloying and dragging at all the warmth he felt. 

He settled for the truth, then. 

“Because,” he said, “I’m still here, Thanatos. And I… like hearing you talk, I suppose.”

He watched, the tense line of his shoulders. His eyes traced the way his crossed arms tightened, fingers digging into the crook of his arms. Then relaxed. 

His sigh was so low Zag nearly missed it. He bit down, hard, on the feeling welling up from his chest. 

“What else did you want to know? I’m a busy person, Zag. I can’t be here for you forever.”

Zagreus could barely resist calling him out on that lie.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been So long since i have written anything but in a particular i actually. Really like this. after bein down on my writing so long, this is very nice yknow.  
> I live hades So much ive been on it for like half a year come At me bout it on my blog [shoezuki](https://shoezuki.tumblr.com/).


End file.
